Musical stringed instrument



Dec. 20, 192 7.

w. CHRISTIAN ET AL MUSICAL STRINGED INSTRUMENT Filed Dec. 1, 1923 n 2 2 J 3 J u I 10 J mm m fi s am m .m A 1 flmfi r w an B B i 0 M v M 6. z

Patented Dec. 20, 1927.

warren STATE WILLIAM canistersearn snnzrentn i-..

inn nEnJArsrn H. cnn s'r'rr onnrsrren Assrenon or en's-nets or HIS RIGHT TO EARL orricis.

or ammonia, connections;

onnrsrran, or Barnenron'r, connncrro or.

nearest sTnIneEn Inseam/tuna.

Application filed Reeeniher 1, 1923. Serial No. 677.989.

This invention relates to a musical instrument of stringed type, and the broad object of the invention is to produce a string-ed musical instrument which will present improvements generally over instruments of similar type heretofore known, which will be of very simple and practical construction, and which can be produced very little cost. 7

A more specific object is to provide a stringed musical instrument the head of which will include a permanentlystretched diaphragm requiring no adjustment, as is usual with stringed instruments of certain types, said diaphragm being adapted to re main in its manufactured state for an indefinite period of time, and the neck of which will be associated with said head in unique manner.

A further specific object is to provide a musical instrument of stringed type the head of which will consist of an inner and an outer ring, and a diaphragm permanently stretched across said rings, the margin of the material constituting the diaphragm being permanently secured between said inner and outer rings, and the neck of which will incluce a cross-bar passing snugly through said rings, extending diametrically across the head beneath its diaphragm and secured to the inner ring opposite the loca tion where it passes through the rings to hold the head against an enlarged portion of the neck.

Another specific. object is to provide a head as stated the inner ring and the outer ring of which will consist of pasteboard and the diaphragm of which will consist'of canvas or similar material.

Anotherobject is to provide an improved sound box. for the instrui'i'ient associated with said head and neck in unique manner.

Vi ith the above and other objects in View, the invention will now be fully described and will hereinafter be specifically claimed, it being understood that the disclosure herein is merely illustrative ofv principles and meant in no way in alimiting sense, changes in. details of construction and arrangement of parts being permissible so long as Within the scope of the appended claims e accompanying drawing forming this s tieciiication,

Fig. 1 a top plan view of a stringed musical instrument in which the features of the invention are incorporated; I

Fin. is a central sectional view of the head and sound box, showing the neclr and the cross-barin elevation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View, on line 3-43 inFig. 1;

Fig. i is an enlarged fragmentary see tional View, on line 4-4; in Fig. 1;

5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view,-on line 5'5 in Fig, 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional View of the inner ring of the head, showing the material of the diaphragm placed in position before the outer ring is passed over the inner ring; and I Fig. 7 is a View corresponding with the showing of Fig. 6, disclosing the outer ring heing pushed to position over the margin of the diaphragm material and the inner ring, to secure said margi? between said rings.

ll iiih respe t to the drawing and the numerals of reference indicated thereon, 10

represents thehead of the musical instrument consisting of an inner ring 11, an outer ring 12, both of said rings desirably consisting of pasteboard, and 13 denotes the diaphragm of the head, stretchedover one end thereof and having-its marginal portion 1 L secured between the inner and outer rings.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7 the manner of constructing the head can be readily understood. ln 6 the-inner ring is disclosed with diaphragm material resting upon an end of said inner ring, the margin of said material extending beyond the ring. In F 7 the outer ring is shown as when being pushed down to position over the margin of the diaphragm material and the inner rin to secure said margin between said rings. Preferably, glue or other adhesiye is applied to the outer face of the inner ring and to the inner face of the outer ring before the outer ring is pushed to position to insure that the margin of diaphragm material will be positively secured between said rings. its very clearly shown, the rings 11 and 12 are desirably of the same length, and their upper and lower edges are flush with each other in the finished head. See Figs. 2

Clearly, the diaphragm can be initially iensioned before the ring? li is fenced to portion. head are in assembled relation the upper porits final position by successively grasping he marginal portion let thereof and working or drawing the same downwardly. Bot-h hands may b employed for this purpose, the hands being situated upon opposite sides of the rings and being shifted thereabout on the margin of the diaphragm material until proper l'ensioning it accomplished.

The diaphragm of the head may be of canvas or other material treated in well known manner to be impervious to atmo pheric conditions and to have considerable body and lasting quality whereby said diaphragm will. remain in its manufactured state for an indefinite period of time. The treatment of the diaphragm is preferably accomplished after the marginal portion has been secured between the inner and outer rings of the head set forth, and said treatment is designed to cause the material of said originally tensioned diaphragm to shrink a bit, whereby in the finished head the diaphragm will be tightly stretched, as

' is to be desired.

Numeral represents a metallic band or strip, as of aluminum, secured to the inner face of the ring 11, and 16 represents a similar strip secured to the outer face of the ring 12, the bands or strips preferably being continuous about the rings and having their end portions interlapping as the end portions of the band 16 are shown in Fig.

The band or strip 15 has its lower edge fitted over a part of the width of the lower end of the ring 11, and the band or strip 16 has its upper edge fitted over a part of the width of the upper end of the ring 12, to enhance the appearance of the head.

Numeral 17 represents the neck of: the instrument, said neck having an enlarged portion 18 against which the head is adapted to be snugly fittedQ The neck also has a crossbar 19 projecting longitudinally from said neck and preferably arranged centrally of the width of said enlarged portion, said cross-bar snugly fitting an opening 20 through the inner and outer rings 11 and 12 and the bands 15 and 16 of the head, extending diametrically across the head beneath its diaphragm, and being secured to the inner ring opposite the location where it passes through the head, 21 indicating a screw, arranged in said inner and outer rings and entering the end of the cross-bar spaced from the enlarged portion of the neck, adapted to fix said head on said cross-bar and in firm engagement with said enlarged See Fig. When said neck and tion of the neck at its enlarged portion is desirably in about the plane of the diaphragm for the sake of the appearance of the instrument.

Preferably, the metal band or strip 15 adjacent the location where the end ot the crossbar is engaged by the screw is cut away, as at 22 in Fig. 2, to allow snug pa sage of said. crossbar. Clearly, when the head and neck are assembled as described. the positions of the bands or strips 15 and 16 upon the rings 11 and 12, respectively, are insured, although additional screws (not shown) may be inserted through said rings and bands.

The screw also removably secures a string retainer 23 to said head, said string retainer extending upwardly preferably beyond the diaphragm of the head at a location diametrically opposite the enlarged portion of the neck and in alignment with said neck. The usual strings 2a, adjustably secured to the neck as at 25 and resting upon the bridge 26 itself resting upon the diaphragm, are attached as at 27 to the string retainer.

Numeral 28 denotes a sound box secured to the lower open end of the head. See Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5. As disclosed, said sound box consists of a ring 29, preferably of pasteboard, considerably larger than the ring 12, and a bottom which is preferably of cardboard, but which may consist of metal, or other suitable material. A metallic band or strip 31, as of aluminum, may be secured to the inner face of the ring 29 to have its upper edge fitted over a part of the width of the upper end of said ring (see Figs. 2 and 3) to enhance the appearance of the sound box.

The bottom 30 of the sound box is held to the ring 29 thereof by means of a metallic band or strip 32, as of aluminum, secured about the outer face of said ring 29, the band or strip 32 including a flange fitted over the margin of said bottom.

Numeral 3 1 represents screws passing through the bottom 30 and entering the lower ends of the rings 11 and 12 of the head to hold the sound box to the head. indicates spacing washers upon the screws and between said bottom 30 and head.

As will be more clear from Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the bands or strips 31 and 32 may be secured. to the ring 29 of the sound box by means of rivets 36 extending through said bands and said ring, and said bands or strips desirably have their opposite ends overlapping as the opposite ends of the band or strip are shown in Fig.

Preferably, when the sound box is assembled with the head, the upper end of the ring 29 is flush with, or but a trifle below. the plane of the diaphragm 13, as disclosed more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. Consequently, an. upper portion of said ring 29, as well as upper portions of said bands or strips 31 and 32 must be cut away, as denoted at 37 in Figs. 2 and 5, to allow passage of the enlarged portion 18 of the neck 17, said cut-away portion, naturally, being of the general shape of said enlarged portion, whereby the sound boX will fit more or less closely about the neck.

It is to be noted that the flange 33 of the band or strip 32 holds the margin of the bottom and the lower end oi the ring 29 of the sound box to each other, while the screws 34 hold the sound box as a whole to the head, said box having no direct connection with the neck 17 or with its enlarged portion or cross-bar.

Having thus fully described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A stringed musical instrument of the character described, comprising a head consisting of an inner and an outer ring and a permanently stretched diaphragm having its margin secured between said rings, each of said rings having an opening, a neck, a crossbar secured to the neck and passing through the opening of each of said rings and extending across the head beneath its diaphragm, an inner band engaging the inner iace of said inner ring, an outer band about the outer face of said outer ring, each of said bands having an opening, said cross-bar passing through the opening of each of said bands adjacent said. neck, and means secur ing the outer end of said cross-bar against the inner face of said inner ring.

2. A stringed musical instrument of the character described, comprising a head consisting of an inner and an outer ring and a permanently stretched diaphragm having its margin secured between said rings, each of said rings having an opening, a neck adapted to carry said head, said neck having a shoulder, a crossbar secured upon said neck and passing through the opening of each of said rings and extending across said head beneath its diaphragm, a string retainer, and a single means securing said string retainer and cross-bar to said head, and said head against the shoulder of said neck.

3. A sound box of the character described, comprising a ring, a metallic band about said ring and having a portion extending beyond said ring and an inwardly extending flange upon said portion, and a bottom having its marginal portion situated adjacent said extending portion of said metallic band and fitted between said inwardly extending flange and said ring.

t. In a stringed musical instrument of the character described, in combination with a head and a neck to which the head is secured, a sound box comprising a ring, a metallic band about said ring and having aportion extending beyond said ring and an inwardly extending flange upon said portion, a bottom having its marginal portion situated adjacent said extending portion of said metallic band and titted between said inwardly extending flange and said ring, securing means passing through said bottom and entering a partof said head, and means associated with said securing means to space said head and bottom apart, said ring and metallic band having a cut away part affording clearance for said neck.

Signed at Bridgeport in the county of Fair-field and State of Connecticut, this 27 day of Nov. A. D., 1923.

WM. CHRISTIAN. BENJAMIN H. CHRISTIAN. 

